Independence Day 2020: MHA announces Gallantry & service awards, J&K tops gallantry list

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday announced the list of medal awardees to the police personnel on the occasion of 74th Independence Day to be celebrated on 15 August. A total of 926 police personnel have been awarded medals belonging to different states and forces under the three main categories.

The President Police Medals for Distinguished is awarded to 80 police personnel, Police Medals for Gallantry (PMG) is given to 215 personnel, and Police Medals for Mertitorious Service is awarded to 631 police personnel.

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J&K tops the gallant list

According to the official release, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has the highest number of police personnel who have been conferred with the prestigious PMG. A total of 81 personnel from the Union territory received the medal for their gallant. Followed by the police personnel from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi with 23 and 16 personnel respectively on the gallant medal awardee list. 55 CRPF jawans have also received the PMG along with the other police personnel from various states.

Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of Delhi Police Special Cell, who died in the Batla House encounter in 2008, has been awarded gallantry medal posthumously. Sharma has received the 6th bar to Police Medal for Gallantry. Three IPS officers from Jammu and Kashmir Police, including Sandeep (SSP Anantnag), Gurinderpal Singh (SP Kulgam), and Atul Kumar Goel (DIG South Kashmir) have been awarded the PMG. Two more J&K Police IPS officers, DIG Vidhi Kumar Birdi (currently on deputation in the NIA) and Tejinder Singh (SSP) have received 1st and 2nd bar to PMG respectively along with remaining police personnel.

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For the next 2 categories, i.e Police Medal for meritorious service Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of police personnel selected has received this honour. Out of the total 631, 73 police personnel are chosen from UP, followed by 59 from CRPF. Meanwhile, 6 police personnel from UP is the highest number in the President's Police Medal for distinguished service category in comparison to the rest of the states. 8 personnel from IB (MHA) are honoured with President's Police Medal for distinguished service.

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